# An Internet That Protects You By [coto App](https://paragraph.com/@coto-app) · 2023-03-30 --- Social media platforms have certainly helped bring us closer, with the ability to share snippets of our daily lives or see and talk to each other virtually in seconds. But sneaking on the back of Web2’s abilities have been fraudsters, trolls, hackers, and bullies. They’re reposting and taking credit for your content, and are getting away with unsolicited DMs despite multiple attempts to report them (been there, done that, haven’t we?) The real worry begins when trolls get closer to our real lives, threatening us, finding out where we live, hacking into our accounts, cyberbullying to the point of affecting our mental health. As per a news report published in March 2022 in [The Hindustan Times online edition](https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/cyberbullying-and-crimes-plague-india-s-digital-space-101647692705063.html), authored by [Lalita Panicker](https://www.hindustantimes.com/author/lalita-panicker-101608310490261) the pandemic witnessed a significant increase in cyberbullying cases in India, especially involving women. The same article mentioned the National Crime Records Bureau figures showing a 36% increase in cyberstalking and cyberbullying cases in India post the pandemic with women, girls and people from the LGBTQIA+ community who access digital spaces facing a disproportionate range of abuse from trolling to threatening or harassing phone calls. Another article published in the [Economic Times](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/cases-targeting-women-with-explicit-content-double-in-3-years/articleshow/88719638.cms) quoted an Indian Home Ministry official as saying that social media had become a good fetching ground for criminals with personal data leakage, stalking, cyber impersonation and honey trapping being common online crimes. The problem gets aggravated with end-to-end encryption and anonymity that some of the apps allow. So while Web2 opened a whole new world of possibilities, misuse of the freedom online became rampant. That’s where the Web3 version of the internet comes in — prioritizing the YOU as the USER keeping your data guarded and giving you a safe and responsible virtual experience! Here’s how the Web3 version of the internet protects you and your mental health! ### Trolling Goes In The Trashcan (Where It Belongs) Cyberbullying, in the form of doxing, trolling, dissing, and catfishing, has led victims to fall into short or even prolonged phases of depression and anxiety. The problem on Web2 stems from the fact that there are no immediate and effective mechanisms that platforms have developed to deal with trolls. Web3 tackles this problem very differently. Creating fake profiles on Web3 is a challenge due to the layer of identity verification it has. Inspite of that, if a troll manages to create a ‘troll account’, for them to actually wreak havoc, they need to get access to communities. Web3 which is largely comprised of communities (also known as DAOs) have different modes of operating. While some require members to purchase an NFT to gain access, others require a layer of verification. ![Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/0338c8493f957f5d46d7e14c05562739cc6fcc5a7423b4f48843972c234c48ef.jpg) Photo by Prateek Katyal on Unsplash If a our ‘troll’ still creeps in an open Web3 community and plagues the members, identifying and blocking such a person or bot is easier. Jack Laing, Founder @OrgTech\_Network and @DAObase\_org in his blog [Moderating a DAO](https://medium.com/pocket-network/moderating-a-dao-e84a107348f5) says that DAOs as communities need stewardship and moderators act as community stewards. It is common for communities to have norms that define membership rights, expected behavior, proposal requirements, and requirements for quality contributions. Most Web3 communities are run by peer groups and moderators take strict action if there are truant members. ### My Data, My Privacy “One of the biggest successes of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency is that they both taught people that they can have their own keys, their own sovereign tools of the Internet.” — Chris Tse, Founding Director of Cardstack Ever wondered just how Google knows a little too much about you, or how you suddenly receive calls, texts, and emails from organizations you’ve never signed up to? Every time we hit ‘Accept’ when creating a profile on social media or downloading an app, we agree to corporations collecting our data in centralized databases, and sometimes even selling it to others. When hackers hack into these databases, it’s the privacy of people like us that gets compromised! If you’re face-palming thinking of the many times you’ve let go of your privacy for the sake of a fancy new app or feature, you’re not alone. In fact, people the world over are tired of it, which is exactly why Web3 is in the limelight now. Web3 is built on blockchain technology, which is essentially a chain of blocks that stores data and isn’t owned by anyone, instead being operated by computers or nodes. For their hack to work, they need to hack into most or all of the nodes on the blockchain which is practically impossible. ### A Free Space To Just Be Yourself Web3 deals more effectively with trolls and cyberbullies, and brings control back into your hands. There’s plenty more that makes Web3 a responsible virtual environment, one where you can be yourself with no bounds. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/1385e24b71d305e2f60e973db5807c016afdc946982e29f8dfa4cc0eb1de0d2f.jpg) Being part of a Web3 community (DAO), allows you say in how matters proceed or are conducted. Every DAO has member participation that votes on major decisions and works collectively towards the community! This makes sure that your voice and opinion matters when your community makes its decisions. **Read our earlier blog** on [Participative Ownership in Web3 through DAOs](https://medium.com/cotoapp/participative-ownership-in-web3-through-daos-88195156ff50) Web3 has the potential to bring back the joy to our social interactions with empowerment for every member using it. By [coto](https://coto.world/) Community Team **Click** [**here**](https://forms.zohopublic.in/eveworldplatform/form/EVECreatorBetaProgram/formperma/YU9gMil6vC__Ml3IBRPXa6w8yn9hUKG7GclLTVWGY_s) **to can apply to the ‘coto’ Community Creator Program.** **Follow us on** [**Instagram**](https://www.instagram.com/cotoapp/)**,** [**Twitter**](https://twitter.com/cotoapp)**,** [**Facebook**](https://www.facebook.com/cotoapp)**,** [**LinkedIn**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/eveworld/) **Join our community on** [**Discord**](https://discord.com/invite/GTEpmjGYrg) --- *Originally published on [coto App](https://paragraph.com/@coto-app/an-internet-that-protects-you)*